THE MODEBN HISTOBY OF SILK. 183 



owing to the facility with which increased supplies 

 of raw silk are now obtained from India. In I770, 

 the East India Company began to introduce the 

 Italian mode of preparing and winding silk into 

 Bengal ; but the obstacles to its introduction, from 

 the ignorance and prejudices of the natives, and 

 other causes, rendered its progress for several years 

 comparatively slow. The average quantity of raw 

 silk imported from India previously to 1770, did 

 not exceed one hundred thousand pounds weight ; 

 and this, too, of a very inferior description, and 

 worth only from a third to a half of Italian silk. 

 In 1780, the imports from India amounted to 

 about two hundred thousand pounds weight ; and, 

 in 1800, to nearly five hundred thousand pounds 

 weight. Since that time they have continued to 

 increase ui a still greater proportion, the quantity of 

 Bengal silk imported in 1823 having been upwards 

 of one million two hundred thousand pounds weight, 

 and of an exceedingly improved quality. The price 

 of Italian raw silk is stated in the Second Report 

 of the Lords' Committee on Foreign Trade, (page 4,) 

 to be from thirteen to twenty-six shillings a pound, 

 exclusive of duty, and that of Bengal from twelve to 

 twenty-five shillings a pound. But as only one 

 crop of raw silk is annually produced in Italy, 

 while /rom two to three crops are p-oduced in tlie 

 same period in India, a very great reduction of 

 price may be expected the moment these absurd 



